The Fencing Club of Case Western Reserve University is planning to attend the upcoming University of Michigan Duels on Saturday, Oct. 3. 15 fencers from CWRU who compete across the three types of fencing (foil, éspée and sabre) will be traveling to Ann Arbor, Michigan to participate in this event. Among their competitors are fencers from six to eight other schools such as the University of Michigan, Michigan State University, Purdue University and Xavier University.
Fourth-year Matthew Lehman is the vice president of the Fencing Club. Prior to coming to CWRU, Lehman fenced in the U.S. Nationals, attended a fencing club back home and is currently active as a referee for competitions. Additionally, he has participated in previous Fencing Club competitions and is one of the more active members.
When asked what his goals were for the upcoming Duels, Lehman mentioned that the focus was less so about the tournament and more about the overall experience.
“It doesn’t matter what school wins or loses. It’s just about making sure that inexperienced fencers get competition experience as well as getting people’s bouts in so they can qualify for championships and obviously having fun,” Lehman said.
The Fencing Club received a surplus of new members this year, with approximately 10 to 12 new freshmen. Lehman applauded the new executive board for being able to recruit so many new members this year and hopes to bring in more members next semester.
“I’m very happy with the number of people we have for all the weapons,” he said “Epee is a little low as usual, but hopefully we get that up [soon].”
While other schools have a coach that trains and guides their fencing teams, CWRU’s fencing team is student-led. However, this has not deterred the members from training and conditioning themselves to the best of their condition. The student-led aspect of the club also allows new members to freely move around the different types of fencing and ultimately decide which one suits their strengths.
The CWRU Fencing Club has worked extremely hard to be able to send their members to competitions. The club does not exclusively compete in competitive events but rather aims to give members the chance to meet fencers from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences and explore their strengths in that particular sport. Fencing is often considered to be an exclusive sport where only those that can afford the time and money can participate. However, at CWRU, the Fencing Club looks for members who are willing to learn and enjoy the sport.